Almost all villages throughout Mondulkiri province are now connected to the Kingdom’s electrical network, according to deputy governor Sorn Sarun.

Sarun was speaking at a press conference on the administration’s achievements of the past five years, held at the Council of Ministers on April 6.

“The provincial administration is committed to expanding the electricity network to the last remote villages in the deep forest in the near future,” he said.

“Mondulkiri has one town and four districts, with 21 communes and 92 villages. Our total population is 97,562, made up of 23,540 families. Our population density is just seven people per square kilometre, the lowest in the Kingdom,” he added.

He claimed that almost every village in the province now had access to electricity, with the remaining villages deep in the dense forest, though he noted that not every household where the power grid was available had opted to connect to it.

“We have 610km of MV power lines and 332km of LV line. So far, 12,284 households are attached to the national grid. This will increase shortly, as the lower Sesan II dam substation is under construction in Romnea commune’s Putrum village of Sen Monorom town,” he said.

He said the administration will work with local and international organisations, civil society and the private sector to attract more investment in clean water and electricity supply.

Ty Sophal, director of the provincial Department of Mines and Energy, said the department is working to expand the electricity network in both urban and rural areas, in order to drive investment in agro-industry and manufacturing, and drive economic growth.